Tuesday, March 13, 2012

A fine day few months ago marked the completion of 10 years of Cable-TV-Free life!

A little over a decade ago when we moved to this wonderful city, the other half and I were both unemployed, steeped in student loans, with zero savings to speak of. So we took whatever jobs we could find (including an unexpected stint at a pizza place).

Naturally inclined to frugal living - frugal, not miserly - we splurged on what we thought was important, conscious not to fret over a carelessly misspent penny.

That was the time we decided that Cable TV was a frivolous indulgence we didn't need.

And we've not regretted that decision to this day.

Of course, the trend of consuming home-entertainment has changed over the last few years with TiVo and streaming videos on the Internet. Gone are the days when getting popcorn ready, making sure the beer was cold, and bunking out at the coziest spot on the couch at the appointed time to watch a sitcom or drama show was the highlight of certain evenings.

As a student, I remember rushing over to a friend's house to watch Star Trek TNG or X-Files as a group, savoring the togetherness and the common experience. Today, I catch Jon Stewart on hulu in weekly doses and don't feel left out of the water fountain chats; and D manages to watch whatever interests him at his convenience on his handheld. Kids do get to watch PBS and some DVDs and Instant Play shows via Netflix - it has never been zero screen time for them - selective and specific, a balance of education and entertainment...

I am rambling...

I just wanted to dedicate a post to celebrate that decision we made a decade ago which has freed up endless hours for me to pursue my interests, enjoy the kids, manage my commitments, even if I feel disconnected as I didn't know what happened last night in Mad Men or Breaking Bad or Merlin or John Colbert. I can always find out 6 months later from a weekend of binge-watching :)

[p.s: I can't seem to write a post without having pictures in it, as if the pictures somehow emphasize and validate my thoughts... so I made one up in a flash thanks to free clipart!]

Children's Books We've Enjoyed

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